Overview
This game was not released; Black River Studios developed it over one year during the pandemic.
Defloat/Dorado (provisional name) was a boss rush genre, cyberpunk themed, with bosses represented by tarot cards. It would be released for platforms: Console and PC.
The first demo was developed to present the concept of the game for publishers, at the time having only 3 of the 8 bosses
UX | UI
I worked from idea generation to market exploration.
Collaborated with product managers and game designers, applying design artifacts (UX research, personas, and workshops) to align the product vision for main stakeholders. With the whole team aligned, we started the pre-production phase, so my main role was to create the UX flows and wireframes.
Wireframes and game flow were essential for the first phase to visualize the game as a whole. Also being great allies when discussing functions with engineers and artists.
At the begging of 2020, we had the situation of COVID-19 the team had to adapt to remote work.
So in some instances, I need to adjust my communication to better present some ideas. Creating storyboards and animatics to help the team understand my vision.
Visual Design
In the conception phase, I worked in parallel with the art director to align our visual styles. Generating alternatives and prototypes to communicate UX vision.
Implementation
As part of my role, I implemented the interface in the Unity 3D engine.
In this specific game, I had to innovate my implementation workflow, because the UI needed to adapt to the cyberpunk style. This was an opportunity to learn how to use Unity's Shader Graphic. Thanks to this new knowledge, I generated alternatives with Tech artists to reduce the export of sprites, using the asset's material to create effects.
Low-Fid UX Prototyping (Design only, no code)
As our game will be released on various consoles and PC, our developers and game designers should understand the interaction with each platform.
To collect feedback and explain the player interactions using the control, I had to look for alternatives to present the functions beyond wireframes. For that, I developed prototypes in Adobe XD, using inputs from the control.
My final thoughts
I have many good memories of this project and the whole team; it was a game in which many of us had to reinvent ourselves to adapt to the situation we were going through.
Although the game has not been released, I carry with me all the experience I learned from the challenges the game provided us; I feel proud to see all the material we developed and how we support each other.
Although the game has not been released, I carry with me all the experience I learned from the challenges the game provided us; I feel proud to see all the material we developed and how we support each other.